Absolute Beginners (David Bowie song)

Background and recording

Bowie was good friends with the film's director, Julien Temple (who had worked with him in 1984 on the Jazzin' for Blue Jean short film). Bowie agreed to Temple's request to write music for the film if he could also play the part of Vendice Partners.

The sessions at Abbey Road Studios, London, were set up in a novel way, with a group of session musicians all receiving a card to work at the studio with "Mr X", who turned out to be Bowie. The sessions were completed rapidly, but the song was delayed due to the problems with completing the film. Virgin wanted the release to tie in with the film's opening. The song featured Rick Wakeman on piano, who had previously performed on Bowie's "Space Oddity" single and Hunky Dory album. Shortly after the sessions wrapped, Mick Jagger flew in to record the charity cover of "Dancing in the Street" with Bowie, which used many of the same musicians. Bowie recorded the lead vocal of "Absolute Beginners" at Westside Studios in August.

Reception

AllMusic described the song as "the gem of his post-Let's Dance '80s output, a big, breathtaking ballad allowing him to indulge the Sinatra croon that's driven many of his best performances". Don Weller's saxophone solo has been described by musicOMH as "perhaps the best" saxophone solo in a Bowie song. They characterised it as "the sound of one man trying to violently expel his innards through the bell of his instrument" and "one of the most heartbreaking things put to record". It was chosen by Jeremy Allen in The Guardian as one of Bowie's "ten of the best" songs. Biographer Paul Trynka described it as "Bowie's last great composition of the 1980s". Mojo chose it as number 61 in the countdown of Bowie's 100 greatest songs.

Track listing

All tracks by David Bowie unless indicated.

3" CD: Virgin CDT 20 (UK)

1. "Absolute Beginners" - 8:03
2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" - 5:40

CD: Virgin CDF 20 (UK)

1. "Absolute Beginners" - 8:03
2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" - 5:40

7": Virgin VS 838 (UK)

1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:36
2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42

12": Virgin VSG 838–12 (UK)

1. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00
2. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42

12": EMI America SPRO 9623 (US)

1. "Absolute Beginners (Edited Version)" – 4:46
2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00

Download: EMI iVS 838 (UK)

1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:36
2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:00
3. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:42

Download: Amazon.com (US)

1. "Absolute Beginners" – 5:37
2. "Absolute Beginners (Full Length Version)" – 8:03
3. "Absolute Beginners (Dub Mix)" – 5:39
4. "That's Motivation" – 4:14
5. "Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)" (Comp.: Domenico Modugno) – 3:13

Music video

Julien Temple shot the music video, which echoed the 1950s style of the movie. The video was a homage to an old British advert for Strand cigarettes. The ill-fated advertising tagline "You're never alone with a Strand" is quoted by Partners in the film. The video also uses footage from the film.

In 2016, Entertainment Weekly chose it as one of Bowie's 20 best music videos. They stated the video "does a far better job of expressing the noirish romanticism" of MacInnes' novel than the film did and also praised the "great dance-fighting scene at the end".

Production credits

Gil Evans sings the refrain of the song in the film.

Live versions

Other releases

Cover versions